User blog:John Pan/2A74
2A74 152mm Howitzer If you have two hundred guns per kilometer of the front, do not ask about the enemy and do not report about him. -Marshal Kirill Moskaleno Any good defensive line needs artillery. And to achieve “two hundred guns per kilometer,” they couldn't look to big, powerful howitzers—they would be too expensive. However, small, mobile guns normally translate into underpowered and fragile, so they settled on a generic albeit modernized 152mm towed howitzer. Squad Composition *Spotter *Gunner *Loader *Loader *Loader *Loader Sensory 2A74 crews rely on their eyes and ears. The Spotter get a good spotter scope, the gun has a decent a panoramic periscopic indirect-fire sight, and of course, they accept fire mission calls on the radio. Upgrades Direct-Fire Sight Sometime, the tanks come too close for comfort. And this is exactly the time when a direct shot would be nice. This is exactly why the 2A74 can be equipped with a direct-fire anti-tank telescope. Allows it to fire dedicated 152mm tandem-HEAT shells at enemy tanks. Makes it an extremely effective improvised anti-tank gun. Armament 2A74 (1) A development of the 2A65, the 2A74 is essentially the Russian version of the M777. It is essentially a lightweight version of its predecessor, being small, much lighter, and therefore, more mobile. To reduce recoil, the gun has a prominent muzzle break. The gun can fire 152mm HE shells on targets up to 20km away. Upgrades Titanium L/39 Barrel Titanium is lighter than steel, yet has comparable levels (or even higher levels) of tensile strength. Relatively expensive and hard to work with, a titanium-aluminum alloy barrel can be procured to replace the original hardened steel barrel. Boosts mobility (allows (light) helicopter-transport). The gun gets a new designation: 2A74M. Extended-Range Base Bleed Shell drag comes from two places: the nose of the shell, as it pushes the air out of its way at supersonic speeds. Shaping the shell properly can reduce this greatly. However, another powerful source of drag is the vacuum left behind the shell due to its blunt base. Base Bleed is a way to remedy this: a small ring of metal extends just past the base, and the area in the rear of the shell is filled with a small gas generator. The gas generator provides little net thrust—it's not designed to be a rocket—but simply fills the area behind the shell with pressure, dramatically reducing the drag due to the vacuum. Enhances range by 30%. Protection 2A74 crews wear Vetrovka ballistic vests. CBRN suits are also present. The howitzer itself has a 10mm hardened steel gun shield, helpfully shielding the crew from shrapnel originating from the front of the howitzer. Upgrades None. Mobility Although it only weighs 6,000kg (1 ton less if it gets the titanium barrel) ( in comparison with 6,800kg of the 2A65), it is still pretty much unmovable by human power alone. The Imperium's high level of mechanization results in widespread transportation. Upgrades Integrated motor When mechanization is unavailable or impossible (i.e. high up in the Caucus mountains), the 2A74 can be allowed to obtain integrated electric motors for each (pair) of wheels, plus a block battery to power the whole thing. Raises speed from 0 to 15kmph. Last Edited: John Pan (talk) 05:28, August 2, 2015 (UTC) Category:Blog posts